A Chinese court on Monday sentenced former justice minister Tang Yijun to life imprisonment after convicting him of large-scale bribery, officials said. The Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court in eastern China ruled that Tang exploited senior posts to accept illicit payments totaling 137 million yuan, or about $19.7 million, over more than a decade.
Tang, 64, served as justice minister from 2020 to 2023 and previously held influential roles, including governor of Liaoning province and Communist Party chief of Ningbo. According to the court, he repeatedly used authority attached to successive positions between 2006 and 2022 to secure benefits for companies and individuals.
In return for cash and gifts, Tang facilitated initial public offerings, arranged bank financing, helped acquire land, and intervened in other commercial matters. Consequently, judges said his conduct caused extremely serious harm to state interests and the public, citing the particularly high value of bribes involved.
Mitigation cited as wider anti-graft drive continues
However, the court reduced punishment after considering mitigating factors. Tang confessed following his detention, expressed remorse, pleaded guilty, and cooperated with investigators, the ruling said. Therefore, authorities imposed a life sentence rather than capital punishment.
The case fits a broader anti-corruption campaign targeting senior officials. Earlier, former justice minister Fu Zhenghua received a suspended death sentence in 2022 that was later commuted to life imprisonment. Moreover, authorities last month announced an anti-graft investigation into Zhang Youxia, China’s most powerful general, underscoring Beijing’s sustained drive against corruption nationwide.
China sentences ex-justice minister Tang Yijun to life, highlighting intensified anti-corruption enforcement targeting senior officials nationwide across China
